Coming Soon: The Winding Woods: The Siren from the Silver Sea 11/8/24
Book Two: Lilly Quinn and the Grimalkin
Chapter One
She sat on the cold, dank floor; her knees pulled tight to her chest. Her silvery blonde hair was slicked back into a greasy bun, which showed off her pointed ears. Her clothes hung loosely off her slight frame. She heard something coming down the hall toward her stone walled cell. Click. Clack. Click. Clack. The steady pace was getting louder. She held her breath to listen, the footsteps stopped outside the door. She could see the shadow through the cracks in the threshold, as a key was inserted into the lock; there was a rusty squeal when the latch turned. The girl shielded her eyes from the light flooding the room. A silhouette of a short, portly woman filled the doorway. The girl nervously rubbed the black collar fastened around her neck.
“Lilly? They are ready for you now.”
“What do you want with me? Please let me go.” Lilly had a small, sweet voice. “Take this collar off of me,….please?”
The woman started to take a step into the room; Lilly instinctively coiled back against the wet wall.
“Are you going to give me trouble?” the woman coldly questioned. “Or, do I have to get the Wendigo to share your cell?”
“NO!” Lilly screamed, as she rose to her feet. “I will come with you.” Lilly looked down at her bandaged arm, where the Wendigo had bitten her a few days before. She walked toward the bright light of the door, holding her arms out in front of her, as she had done so many times. The portly woman put shackles around Lilly’s wrists, then shoved her through the doorway.
Lilly walked steadily down the long line of cells, toward a staircase. She could hear creatures lightly sobbing on the other side of the doors.
“Walk faster Lilly! You’re procrastinating. You’re only going to make the Council angry.”
Lilly let out a sigh of defeat as she held back her tears.
How did I ever let this happen to me?
As they slowly climbed the stairs Lilly could feel the temperature rising as they neared the surface. The woman continued to stay behind Lilly, nudging her if she even tried to look back at her. The woman cloaked her face in the shadows. Lilly pushed the large doors open to enter the Circle of the Owls. There were rows of chairs ascending to the ceiling, built like an ancient colosseum. The chairs were filled with different creatures, all wearing masquerade masks.
“Lilly Quinn, it is your time.” A familiar voice said from the top of the massive ring. Lilly’s eyes grew large as she stared up at the silver haired woman. She wore a blue mask of peacock feathers. Her crimson lips smiled down at Lilly. A large black crow sat on her walking stick handle, squawking loudly amongst the murmurs of the room. “Make me proud, Lilly.” The collar around Lilly’s neck turned a lime green as it started to burn her skin. She put her fingers between her neck and the collar, trying to separate the two.
“Stop! I will do it, just stop!” Lilly cried, as tears streamed down her rosy cheeks. The silver haired woman cackled as the council began murmured conversations amongst themselves. Lilly had been through a few of the women in the peacock masks over the years, but she hated this one the most.
“If you succeed, we will put a bed in your cell…..if you fail, she will die.” The woman with the raven hair said to Lilly.
A small man, wearing a mask with a long crooked nose, and a dark robe raised his hand. With this gesture, the collar around Lilly Quinn’s neck started to flash with green and blue rays of light. Lilly started to cry, silently, as she walked toward the base of the seats. The row lifted up, showing a path to the dense forest. Lilly reached up to her slicked back hair to loosen the ribbon. She took a deep breath, then vigorously shook her head. Letting out the air from her lungs, she started toward the path, moving faster into the forest, with the wall of the building disappeared over her shoulder. As Lilly started to run, the trees melted into a smear of green. She dropped down onto all fours as her speed increased. Her fair features faded into a dark shadow.
The Grimalkin let out a mighty roar as it raced toward the south. She must eat.
“Lilly? They are ready for you now.”
“What do you want with me? Please let me go.” Lilly had a small, sweet voice. “Take this collar off of me,….please?”
The woman started to take a step into the room; Lilly instinctively coiled back against the wet wall.
“Are you going to give me trouble?” the woman coldly questioned. “Or, do I have to get the Wendigo to share your cell?”
“NO!” Lilly screamed, as she rose to her feet. “I will come with you.” Lilly looked down at her bandaged arm, where the Wendigo had bitten her a few days before. She walked toward the bright light of the door, holding her arms out in front of her, as she had done so many times before. The portly woman put shackles around Lilly’s wrists, then shoved her through the doorway.
Lilly walked steadily down the long line of cells, toward a staircase. She could hear creatures lightly sobbing on the other side of the doors.
“Walk faster Lilly! You’re procrastinating. You’re only going to make the council angry.”
Lilly let out a sigh of defeat as she held back her tears.
How did I ever let this happen to me?
As they slowly climbed the stairs Lilly could feel the temperature rise as they neared the surface. The woman continued to stay behind Lilly, nudging her if she even tried to look back at her. The woman cloaked her face in the shadows. Lilly pushed the large doors open to enter the Circle of the Owls. There were rows of chairs ascending to the ceiling, built like an ancient colosseum. The chairs were filled with different creatures, all wearing masquerade masks.
“Lilly Quinn, it is your time.” A familiar voice said from the top of the massive ring. Lilly’s eyes grew large as she stared up at the raven haired woman. She wore a blue mask of peacock feathers. Her crimson lips smiled down at Lilly. A large black crow sat on her shoulder, squawking loudly amongst the murmurs of the room. “Make me proud, Lilly.” The collar around Lilly’s neck turned a lime green as it started to burn her skin. She put her fingers between her neck and the collar, trying to separate the two.
“Stop! I will do it, just stop!” Lilly cried as tears streamed down her rosy cheeks. The raven haired woman cackled as the council began to murmur conversations amongst themselves.
“If you succeed, we will put a bed in your cell…..if you fail, she will die.” The woman with the raven hair said to Lilly.
A small man, wearing a mask with a long cuckold nose, and a dark robe raised his hand. With this gesture, the collar around Lilly Quinn’s neck started to flashing green and blue rays of light. Lilly started to cry, silently, as she walked toward the base of the seats. The row lifted up, showing a path to the dense forest. Lilly reached up to her slicked back hair to loosen the ribbon. She took a deep breath, then vigorously shook her head. Letting out the air from her lungs, she started toward the path, moving faster into the forest, as the wall of the building disappeared over her shoulder. As Lilly started to run, the trees started to melt into a smear of green. She dropped down onto all fours as her speed increased. Her fair features faded into a dark shadow.
The Grimalkin let out a mighty roar as it raced toward the south. She must eat.
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